No-Bake Energy Snacks

Have you ever noticed that a couple of hours after having lunch your energy drops? Most of us might think that the solution to this problem is drinking a strong cup of coffee with lots of sugar in it, when in fact, all that sugar only contributes to our lethargy.

First of all, we need to learn the language of our body. If you are constantly feeling tired and sleepy after eating, this might be a sign that your body is struggling to process food with high levels of sugar and refined carbohydrates. Eating these types of foods cause a rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a drop, which results in low energy levels, and therefore, lethargy.

This is the main reason why the “energy” that caffeine or sugary drinks provide you, doesn't last long. It will keep you awake and alert for a few minutes, followed by a drop of energy.

So what to do? What can help us be more productive the last couple hours of our working day? A better solution to this problem it’s a light and delicious snack full with Protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Does that sound too good to be truth? It's not! Here is a great recipe that you can prepare for your afternoon snacks:

You can combine this recipe with another type of fruit that you prefer. It’s delicious and healthy!

Detox juices: Are they any good?

You’ve heard it everywhere…and from everyone: DETOXING

First things first, What is a toxin?

Let’s begin by understanding what a toxin is. Basically a toxin is a tiny compound from various sources that, when they build up in our bodies, have negative effects. You could also call it “poison.” These can be found in the environment and be carried in things like food, air and water. Examples are pesticides, carbon monoxide, and all those weird chemical names that we find in the ingredient list of processed foods.Caffeine and alcohol are toxins too, as are metabolic waste products produced by your cells. In other words, our bodies are bombarded by toxins every day. Sounds scary, right?

Then we should all detox and get rid of this waste!

Actually, you might be surprised to find out that our bodies are incredibly good at processing toxins and are more than able to defend our health against all the poison that enters our bodies.

"There is absolutely no scientific evidence that our body needs to fast or detox in order to cleanse itself from toxins," says Heather Mangieri, RD, CSSD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "These diets are so popular because they feed off the fear that our environment is full of chemicals, and therefore detoxes are necessary. But our bodies have their own built-in detox defense system—such as our lungs, liver, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract—to help eliminate toxins."

Are detox juices healthy?

It is true that fruits and vegetables provide us with necessary and essential nutrients. In fact most of us don’t consume enough! However going on a juice detox program or juice fast can leave out nutrients your body needs to function properly. It deprives the body of healthy fats, fiber and amino acids, and other essential nutrients; it also deprives the body of, well, food. Additionally, if you do this to your body enough, you could permanently lower your metabolism.

But, while there’s very little evidence that detox juices do anything good for you, there’s very little evidence that it does anything bad for you, either, as long as it’s done for very short periods of time AND you are healthy to begin with.Going on a juice fast of more than 2 days is not recommended!

If you have a history of disordered eating, or a medical condition, you should also talk to your doctor if you’re contemplating making any extreme changes to your eating habits.

The final word?

The best detox method is a healthy diet.

Our liver and kidneys already do a great job of removing waste and toxins from our bodies. You can help your body run optimally by consuming more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and limiting added sugars and highly processed foods.

If you were considering doing a juice detox to lose weight, this isn’t the way to go since a good deal of the weight you lose might just be water weight, and will be easily regained. However, studies show that replacing one meal with a juice in order to aid weight loss could benefit people without health concerns, as long as it’s supported with a balanced diet.

Great Tips for Great Hair After The Gym!

Keeping your pretty locks is no longer an excuse for not working out. You can work for the body you want while maintaining a healthy hair, and here we’ll show you how!

Things to avoid

Tight ponytails are not a good idea. The sweat will mold your hair in the shape of the ponytail making it impossible for you to change hairstyles

Detangle your hair harshly, it's a big no-no. The more you brush your scalp, more sweaty and oily will get. Detangle your hair gently and focus on the ends.

Avoid using oils or lipid products before your workout. This will saturate your hair and force you to wash it more often

In fact, washing your hair after every workout might not be the best idea, as it dries out your hair. Here are a couple of tips you can try to avoid over-washing:

Use Dry shampoo properly

Dry shampoo works really well when you apply it before your workout, that way the oils and sweat is absorbed right then

If you apply dry shampoo after your workout, then wait for your hair to be fully dry. The combination of dry shampoo with sweat will not turn out pretty (think cake). Once your hair is dry, apply the dry shampoo at a distance of 10-15cm to avoid product saturation. Leave it on for 10 minutes for best absorption, and remove with fingers.

For best results, try out Dry shampoo + Texturizing. It will refresh your hair and keep your locks in place. We recommend Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Style your hair properly

This might seem obvious but we’ll say it anyways: Do not apply heat to your hair, there are other alternatives to fix flat ends, here are a couple options for you to try:

You can style your hair with your fingers and pull it up into a loose bun. This will give volume to your head and look stylish. Another option is a lose braid, it will look just as cute!

Remember, the trick is to avoid flat hair. In order to do that, you can also use bobby pins to style your hair in natural curls. This option works wonderfully overnight, you will have a great hair in the morning!

Try out these tips for a great hair even after you hit the gym and let us know how it goes!

3 Easy Skin Care Tips Before your Workout Routine

Why is it that your breakout when you start exercising? And more importantly, is there something you can do to prevent them?

Breakouts are the result of bacteria accumulated on clogged skin pores. When we neglect our skincare, the bacteria is trapped, and this subsequently leads to swollen pores and white (or black) heads. Not a pretty sight! Breakouts are more likely to happen when we workout due to the bacteria that breeds on the gym machines, and the sweat that make a fertile environment for them to reproduce.

Again, not a pretty sight! But follow these skin care tips to avoid them:

First step: Keep your face pimple free by removing your make up before you workout! When you don't, the make up oily buildup clogs your pores. Wash your face even if you don't wear make up regularly, and this will help your skin breathe and sweat off toxins

Use antibacterial wipes to clean the gym equipment before you hop in. This sounds like an extreme measure to some, but totally necessary. It's not just the sweat what you wipe off but germs and all sort of filthiness. As a complimentary measure, avoid touching your face when you're at the gym.

Shower after your workout. If at all possible, shower right after. Remember, sweat can also clog your pores, so make sure you wash thoroughly, especially on acne prone body parts, like back, chest, stomach. Water will also relieve the redness and puffiness

Do you have any other tip that works for you? Let us know!

What you REALLY need to know about Sugar

We all know the consequences of a high sugar diet: it makes us gain weight, affects our immune system, messes up with our insulin levels, is bad for our teeth; also, more recent studies link it to Alzheimer’s, myopia, polycystic ovarian syndrome among others.

The problem for many is not knowing how much sugar is recommended, and more importantly, not knowing where sugar is hidden, we not only find it on desserts and soft drinks, but also in bread, spaghetti sauce, canned soups, salad dressing and most low carb/low calorie products in the market.

We overlook the fact that nowadays sugar has so many names, like cane sugar, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, and all of them are seriously dangerous! We are too focused on the number of calories (which is also important), but we don't pay much attention to the amount of added sugar. Most diet products add sugar (and/or its different substitutes) to improve flavor. About that, nutrition expert Erin Palinski-Wade says: “Read the ingredients. If sugar is in the top 3 ingredients, leave the item on the self.”

So, what is the recommended sugar intake?

The AHA (American Heart Association) says that adult women's recommended sugar intake is 5 teaspoons (20 grams) per day, adult men is 9 teaspoons (36 grams), and children is 3 teaspoons (12 grams).
This may seem as an unrealistic amount for most of us, in fact, the average American consumes 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar every day, more than double the recommended intake. What can we do to change that?

Avoid products with added sugar on it. For example, replace yogurt with fruit, to plain yogurt and add real fresh fruit to it.

Avoid canned products, like tomato sauces, or soups. There are great recipes online for easy, and quick alternatives that include fresh ingredients. Check this delicious option: https://iquitsugar.com/recipe/homemade-tomato-sauce/

Choose organic fruits! Grapes may not be as sweet, but they sure are healthier!

Do you have other ideas of how to avoid sugar? Leave a comment, we want to hear from you!

Slip-On Dancers give you the power of adjustable traction. They fit on regular shoes in seconds and allow your hips to move more freely.

"In keeping with the theme of things that go well with Westlake Magazine, please allow me to introduce another personal favorite: Slip-On Dancers. Slip-On Dancers give you the power of adjustable traction. They fit on regular shoes in seconds and allow your hips to move more freely.

Which means you can read Westlake Magazine AND dance at ...the same time. Then again, it may be better to first have a vigorous workout, followed by a cool down where you thumb through the beautiful pages of Westlake Magazine and enjoy the latest stories about celebrity, dining and fashion.

And, since many of our readers love to dance, which is a great form of exercise, I think Slip-On Dancers are an ideal fit (pun intended) for people who want to burn calories and have fun doing so. Check them out at: http://www.slip-ons.net/